Sunday, July 22, 2012

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver - take 2 & 3

(July 12th) Oh man, I struggled with this one. Normally I love everything Barbara Kingsolver writes and I had no doubts I would enjoy The Lacuna too, but I just couldn't get into it. I gave the print copy a try a few months ago and gave up about half way through; then I ordered the audio version from the library and slogged through about 11 of the sixteen disks before I left it for dead*. The endless letters and newspaper articles and journal entries are just such a lame way to tell a story. I don't understand why authors use this style? It feels contrived, like fictional dream sequences. It did receive favorable reviews, though, and most people I talk to really liked it, so it's probably just a quirk of mine that a book like this feels flat. Oh well.

I can't say I disliked it entirely, though. Harrison Shepherd was a likable fellow and he attracted some other quirky, likable characters too. Frida Khalo and Diego Rivera of course, and Violet Brown, the meek but whip-smart 'biographer' who puts all of his writing together to form this book. His prowess in the kitchen, too, gave me no end of delight with all those delectable Mexican dishes so lovingly described. I even tracked down a recipe for pan dulce! And, really, I'd like to get my hands on an authentic Mexican cookbook to put together some of the more intricate sounding meals. Yes, I'd have to file The Lacuna into my It-Was-Okay-But-Not-Really-My-Style category and leave it at that. I have the rest of the audiobook on my ipod and will probably finish it at some time, but right now, I'm sorry to say, I've hit the wall.**

** (July 22) I have now finished it, all sixteen discs, and have to say I really liked the ending. The rest, though, I just found to be such an unnecessarily circuitous way to tell a story.

I'm really sorry you didn't care for this, Trish. Yes, it was different than her others, but I thought the ending was terrific and wouldn't have been possible without the detailed build-up (a Kingsolver characteristic). And I learned so much history (& art history)!

Different reactions - that's what makes the blogging world so interesting :-)

Oh dear, it sucks that this one didn't really do it for you :(. I've only read The Poisonwood Bible by Kingsolver, but I REALLY liked it- I definitely need to read another book by her, but I don't think it'll be this one! (Funnily enough, I looked at it in the library today, but decided to leave it in the end- glad about that now!)

Debbie - Yes, the ending was terrific making me glad I stuck with it - given that it was Kingsolver after all, I figured I ought to. She does write so wonderfully, doesn't she? I think that's why I was disappointed, though, because it was as if 'she' didn't write it, but all the newspaper and magazine clippings did.

Laura - Kingsolver is such a fabulous writer, I'm sure you'd love her other books. But the Lacuna is odd, even for her. I would still give it a try though, you never know . . .